Mark Haven began to photograph the 350-mile stretch of highway between Rochester, NY, where he taught photography, and New York City, where he resides, as a way to deal with the tedium of the weekly commute. “But as I began to look at the highway through my camera, to stop and to talk to the people along his route, I found that the drive was deepening my sense of America.”

Remi Thornton’s cinematic night photographs in “From the Road” convey the artist’s sense of discovery as well as his tension. Here, small pockets of light throw his subjects of the commonplace – isolated dwellings, municipal service buildings and decayed structures into relief and his photographs become as much about negative space and the mystery of night as they are about the objects contained within.

The gallery is also displaying a Portfolio Showcase exhibiting portfolios by two photographers, selected through competition as both hands-on prints and multi-media: Bob Wagner, On the Road: Jack Kerouac’s Lowell MA and Kroll+Cella, Natural Setting.

At Davis-Orton Gallery, 114 Warren St. 518-697-0266 davisortongallery.com
Hours: Friday to Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. and by appointment

Registration will be at 8:30 am in the parking lot of the Hudson City Center on the corners of Green Street and State Street in Hudson, NY.

The car show will begin at 10 am with a parade down Warren Street starting at 7th St and end at 3^rdStreet where the car show will take place. The show will end at 2 pm.  The public will be voting for their favorite vehicles and the top three vehicles will receive awards.

During an archeological dig in the Midwest, a party of scientists are unearthing vestiges of a lost Indian civilization. They are in a race against time to excavate the site before it is engulfed by a man-made lake. But lurking in shadows, a malevolent primal force is biding its time as it prepares to wreak havoc on any who would dare to exhume, for their own ends, what was never meant to be brought to light.

Interweaving past and present, The Mound Builders is a thriller, a mystery and a searing family drama that illuminates the clash between urban and rural, red-state verses blue-state and the conflicting ways in which men and women struggle to leave a legacy for future generations.

May 11 — 19 (7 shows only!) Tickets $20 ($15 for seniors/students) Call (518) 822-9667 or order online at stageworkshudson.org.

Oliveira will be accompanied by Robert Koenig, a pianist with whom he has played for the past 15 years. Koenig himself is much sought after as a collaborative artist and has appeared at Alice Tully Hall, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, the Seoul Arts Centre and the Louvre. “He is the true meaning of a collaborator,” says the violinist. “I don’t need to explain the notes or meaning of phrases to him. He doesn’t need words. He has passion.”

The concert begins at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 12th. Tickets are $30.00 each. A private wine and cheese reception, where those in attendance can meet the performers, costs an additional $15.00 per person. Both the performance and reception take place at The Hudson Armory, 51 North Fifth Street, Hudson. For information and tickets go to ClaverackLanding.org.

Score big points with Mom this weekend by taking her out to dinner at Vico. We’ll spoil her with a special menu available Saturday night and all day Sunday! Call 518.828.6529 to reserve, or book your table online!

Polpettini di Granchio Panko-coated crab cakes, served with our own wasabi aioli, 10

Arancini Fried breaded rice balls with mozzarella, olive and parmiggiano. Marinara dipping sauce, 8

Melanzana Fritta Thin and crispy batter-fried eggplant “chips,” served with our own marinara dipping sauce, 7

Formaggi Assortiti An assortment of imported Italian cheeses served with fresh fruit, spiced pecans, and fig compote (also great after dinner), 12

Primi

Risotto ai Forieri di Primavera Risotto with the harbingers of spring: locally foraged ramps, asparagus, peas, artichoke, and shiitake mushrooms, 22

Penne ai Porri Selvatici Pasta served with a pesto of locally foraged ramps and ricotta cheese, 21

Secondi

Braciola Ripiena Hand-cut pork chop stuffed with gruyere cheese and Dijon mustard with a Chianti beurre rouge. Served over garlic mashed potatoes, 21

Costolette d’Agnello Lamb chops grilled to order with an espresso cream sauce and served over garlic mashed potatoes, 34

Dolci

Cannoli Siciliani Our take is made with fresh ricotta, house-made candied orange peel, and pistachios, 9

TiramiSusan A chocolatey twist on the classic from El Toulà restaurant in Treviso by our friend and neighbor, Susan Johnson, 8

By the Glass

Soave Classico Pieropan 2010 With beautiful aromas of spring flowers and nutty marzipan wafting from the glass, this classic white wine of the Veneto is delicious with a wide range of foods, 10

Please join us this weekend for the second in our series of regional Italian menus. This time, we’re focusing on the Veneto, the region surrounding Venice, including Verona, Padua, and Vicenza. This special menu will be available from Saturday, April 21 through Monday, April 23, alongside our regular dinner menu. All items will be available a la carte. We will also have regional wines, selected by Lewis Dimm of Fairview Wines, available by the glass.

As a special treat, we’ll also be featuring images From artist Joan Damiani‘s latest show, Buongiorno Venezia on our walls. You can see the complete show at J Damiani Gallery, 237 Warren Street. (Image above: “Tre Amici” by Joan Damiani)

Our menu coincides with Dine Art, a collaboration between the restaurants and galleries of BeLo3rd. As part of Dine Art, we’ll have tastings available at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce on Front Street. You can learn more about Dine Art at belo3rd.com.

Here is our planned menu.

Please reserve by calling us at 518.828.6529 or booking your table online. When you do, let us know you’re interested in ordering off the special menu, and we will do our best to make sure all the items are available to you.